Cape Cod National Seashore & Town Beaches
The entire Atlantic Ocean coastline of Cape Cod was preserved as a Cape Cod National Seashore Park by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
The National Seashore Park offers several gateways to some of the most beautiful beaches in America which can be accessed for no cost or only a nominal parking fee.
Herring Cove Beach between Wood End and Race Point Lighthouses (facing Cape Cod Bay) has ample parking and a beach facility which includes toilets, showers and take away food for the complete ‘day at the beach.’
This beach has easy to access to water by handicapped people.
Close to Hatches Harbor is access to a bike/walking trail that goes through the most rugged dunes with vistas of the salt marshes and dunes. Use caution on bike trails, watch out for ticks and poison ivy, use caution when walking and do not damage beach grass.
Race Point Beach (facing Atlantic Ocean) has seasonal restrooms, showers and changing rooms and it is wheelchair accessible. The Old Harbor Life Saving Station is open daily (in season) from 2pm to 4pm.
Both beaches are favorite with beach campfires. Demand for reservations is extremely high during the summer months. There are a limited number of free permits per beach per day. For more information about permits for campfires, special events like weddings, and overland beach driving, please call or visit Province Lands Visitor Center, 508 487-1256. Also you may want to check Provincetown Art’s Dune Tours, which offers wide variety of tours to suit everyone’s needs: National Seashore Park dunes & beaches, Race Point Lighthouse, and sunset tours in addition to private charter with beach fires.
Good jump-off point for walking or biking the dunes is the Park’s Visitors Center on Race Road, again with ample free parking and rest rooms.
Beech Forest, further along Race Road back into town, has free parking and rest rooms, and self-guided walks to kettle ponds and bike/walking trails deep into the woods.
For more information please visit Cape Cod National Seashore Park.